Heavy Oil Upgrading via Solvent Deasphalting and Thermal Cracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing heavy oil processing technologies face challenges in efficiently separating de-oiled asphalt from solvents and transporting asphalt with high softening points, leading to low yields and increased coke production, due to the difficulty in solvent separation and the instability of thermal reaction products.
Innovation Solution
An integrated process that includes prefractionation of heavy oil, solvent deasphalting, and thermal cracking, where the extraction solvent and heavy gas oil are recycled back to the deasphalting process, allowing for bidirectional integration and eliminating the need for thermal reaction treatment of de-asphalted oil components, thereby enhancing the separation and stability of upgraded oil products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If solvent deasphalting process is used to separate de-asphalted oil from asphalt, then the quality of de-asphalted oil is improved, but the separation of extraction solvent from de-oiled asphalt becomes difficult and yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the extraction solvent by controlling temperature and pressure to achieve supercritical conditions. This parameter change allows the solvent to be easily separated from the de-oiled asphalt through phase transition, resolving the contradiction between maintaining high de-asphalted oil quality and achieving high yield by facilitating complete solvent removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of the extraction solvent from supercritical state back to liquid or gaseous state for separation. By controlling temperature and pressure conditions, the solvent undergoes phase transition that enables easy separation from the de-oiled asphalt, thereby increasing the yield of de-asphalted oil while maintaining its quality.
2Productivity
If asphalt with high softening point is processed through thermal cracking, then the oil yield is increased, but coke production increases and product stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary deasphalting to remove asphalt components before thermal cracking. This preliminary action eliminates the problematic high softening point asphalt that would otherwise lead to excessive coke formation and product instability during thermal cracking, while still allowing oil yield to be increased through controlled cracking of the pre-treated feedstock.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the heavy oil processing into distinct stages: first deasphalting to separate asphalt components, then thermal cracking of the de-asphalted material. This segmentation prevents the interaction of asphalt with thermal cracking conditions that cause coke formation, thereby maintaining product stability while achieving high oil yield.
3Loss of time
If heavy oil is directly subjected to thermal cracking without pre-treatment, then processing time is reduced, but the stability of upgraded oil products decreases due to asphalt interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary solvent deasphalting treatment before thermal cracking to remove asphalt components that would interfere with product stability. This preliminary action, combined with supercritical solvent removal, is designed to be time-efficient while ensuring that the subsequent thermal cracking produces stable upgraded oil products without asphalt-related complications.
4Device complexity
If extraction solvent is not separated from de-oiled asphalt, then processing complexity is reduced, but the asphalt becomes difficult to transport and process further
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses phase transition of the extraction solvent under supercritical conditions to achieve easy separation from de-oiled asphalt. The controlled phase change allows complete solvent removal, producing dry de-oiled asphalt that is easy to transport and process further, while the supercritical extraction process itself remains relatively simple to operate.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach increases the yield and quality of upgraded oil by maximizing the separation of oil components, reducing coke production, and improving the API gravity of the final product, while ensuring the stability and flowability of the upgraded oil.
Implementation Method 1
the de-asphalted oil and the de-oiled asphalt phase are separated from each other through a solvent deasphalting process
Implementation Method 2
the de-oiled asphalt phase including the extraction solvent is mixed with dispersing solvent and then enters a thermal cracking reactor to undergo thermal cracking process
Implementation Method 3
With the thermal reaction treatments of heavy oil components, for example, heavy oil hydrotreating, the hydrotreating of coking products, partial thermal cracking of heavy distillate products, etc., the upgraded products of the heavy oil (upgraded oil or synthetic oil) can be obtained
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides an integrated process for processing heavy oil, wherein the integrated process at least comprises: solvent deasphalting is carried out for heavy oil material, and de-oiled asphalt phase is mixed with dispersing agent and then entered a thermal cracking reactor to undergo thermal cracking reactions. Upgraded oil can be obtained through the mixture of the de-asphalted oil and thermal cracking oil separated from thermal cracking reaction products. The solvent and heavy gas oil, which are separated from the thermal cracking reaction products, are respectively recycled back to the solvent deasphalting process as solvent and as mixed feed to remove asphaltene. The integrated process of the present invention solves the problems that solvent is difficult to be separated from asphalt with high softening point in solvent deasphalting process and hard asphalt is difficult to be transported.